Flash Gordon (soundtrack)

Untitled

Flash Gordon is a 1980 album by English rock band Queen. It is the soundtrack album to the science fiction movie Flash Gordon, and features lyrics on only two tracks. The track "Flash's Theme" was the only single to be released from the album, under the title "Flash". It reached number 10 in the UK charts and number 42 in the United States.

Background

There are two versions of the opening track. The album version ("Flash's Theme") is in fact the start to the movie, with all the dialog from the first scene. The single version ("Flash") however features parts of the dialog taken from various parts of the movie. This version was also included on the Greatest Hits compilation from 1981. The single reached number one in Austria. The track is noted for its pounding, repetitive bassline and the camp humour of the snippets of dialogue from the movie that it contains.

All but two of the tracks on the album ("Flash's Theme" and "The Hero") are instrumentals. The album makes extensive use of synthesizers, which Queen had employed for the first time on their previous album, The Game. The last track, "The Hero", while an individual song, reprises the main motif from "Battle Theme".

The tracks featured in the album contain dialogue from the film. A "music only" version, free of the dialogue snippets, has been rumored for years.

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Flash's Theme"	Brian May	3:30
2.	"In the Space Capsule (The Love Theme)"	Roger Taylor	2:21
3.	"Ming's Theme (In the Court of Ming the Merciless)"	Freddie Mercury	2:53
4.	"The Ring (Hypnotic Seduction of Dale)"	Mercury	1:15
5.	"Football Fight"	Mercury	1:29
6.	"In the Death Cell (Love Theme Reprise)"	Taylor	2:26
7.	"Execution of Flash"	John Deacon	0:43
8.	"The Kiss (Aura Resurrects Flash)"	Mercury	2:11

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Arboria (Planet of the Tree Men)" (listed as "Man" on the 1982 U.S. LP, 5E-518-B)	Deacon	1:41
2.	"Escape from the Swamp"	Taylor	1:37
3.	"Flash to the Rescue"	May	2:47
4.	"Vultan's Theme (Attack of the Hawk Men)"	Mercury	1:15
5.	"Battle Theme"	May	2:20
6.	"The Wedding March" ("Bridal Chorus")	Richard Wagner, arr. May	0:56
7.	"Marriage of Dale and Ming (And Flash Approaching)"	May, Taylor	2:04
8.	"Crash Dive on Mingo City"	May	0:46
9.	"Flash's Theme Reprise (Victory Celebrations)"	May	1:39
10.	"The Hero"	May	3:31

Bonus track (1991 Hollywood Records CD reissue)

No.	Title	Length
19.	"Flash's Theme" (1991 remix by Mista Lawnge, 9.5)	6:43

Personnel

• John Deacon: bass guitar, guitar, synthesizer
• Brian May: guitar, vocals, synthesizer, piano (on Flash's Theme" & "The Hero"), guitar orchestration (on "The Wedding March")
• Freddie Mercury: vocals, synthesizer, Piano, Keyboards
• Roger Taylor: drums, timpani, vocals, synthesizer
• Additional orchestral arrangements by Howard Blake

Chart positions

Country	Charts		Sales
	Peak position	Weeks	Certification	Sales
Austria	1	20		100.000
Germany	2			300.000
United Kingdom	10	15	Gold	250.000
Japan	12			100.000
Netherlands	13			60.000
Italy	15			50.000
United States	23	13	Gold	600.000
Norway	25	8		50.000
Sweden	29	2		50.000